Marvel Collected Editions

[banky]

This is such a great post, in light of how much misinformation related to this topic is floating around the internet. I've heard arguments for vertical and horizontal storage, but given your pedigree, I'm inclined to take your word.

Thanks for the thumbs up. I'm not going to say there is only one way that suits everybody but I do make recommendations based on what I've experienced firsthand. That said, if I owned the Simonson Thor omnibus or any of the other extra thick tomes from the early omni era, I would probably store that one volume flat to prevent the text blocck sag frequently mentioned on here. I would just store it solo, which I'm sure goes against the OCD tendencies of many shelf porn enthusiasts.

[mike1981]

That may be fine in your case but it's not recommended by any means. Stacking all your omnibus books flat (horizontal spines) puts added pressure on the spine. Granted, it's not easily measured (most of the weight is evenly distributed on the main cover surface area) but signatures and spines are built to move freely and while keeping the text block together- NOT withstand several (10+) PSI of pressure directed perpendicular against it. I don't have examples to show you potential damage over time, but the glue, the cloth & sewn thread signatures are just not designed for this.

I've taken bookbinding classes in college for graphic design (don't laugh, yes I'm that old) and I've also worked in a library (I used to read the Library Journal in acquisitions!). Storing books horizontally is something done solely due to space considerations in libraries (Large map & art books are too tall for most shelves)- but it is never in stacks more than 3 books high (less if they are heavy).

This is a great post... but for one point.

Force is pressure divided by area, so for a book to exert 10 psi, it would be about the size and weight of a person. More realistically (using the dimensions on Amazon) a book like the Roger Stern Spider-Man omnibus would put down 0.09 psi.

[Dayle88]

Good post. I have Big Damn Sin City on its own, mostly because it deserves to stand alone in all it's glory! The only books I have in a pile of three are Ultimate Spider-man omnibus with Death of Spider-man and the Alias omnibus on top. Those things barely weigh anything anyway. I had Ultimate Spider-man on a different shelf to what I normally use when I first got it while I waited to rearrange my bookshelves and it sagged. That made me weary and decide to go horizontal for all my large hardcovers.

Is it the spine actually being squeezed that causes the problem because they are made to open not close any more than they sit naturally?

[banky]

This is a great post... but for one point.

Force I pressure divided by area, so for a book to exert 10 psi, it would be about the size and weight of a person. More realistically (using the dimensions on Amazon) a book like the Roger Stern Spider-Man omnibus would put down 0.09 psi.

Yay science! Thank you for the correction but imagine a stack of 7+ omnis at 7.5lbs each (weight bias near the spines)! I forgot to mention that placing the heaviest book at the bottom just makes that book the sacrificial lamb if you will. The heaviest book is not the strongest- it still has a spine of cloth, thread & glue.

Is it the spine actually being squeezed that causes the problem because they are made to open not close any more than they sit naturally?

(Sorry, I didn't see this post when I hit reply) It's the direct pressure at a right angle to the spine. Yes it is getting squeezed but the effect is cumulative rather than a specific PSI limit, imo. The pressure exerted is not what the spine was designed to withstand. If you look at the way signatures are threaded and bound together, they were designed to withstand frequent opening/closing. The rationale against stacking books horizontally is the same against over-cramming regular shelves.

[banky]

As bad as it is, I can't blame just Marvel. The two faulty Marvel books I've bought came from different printers (one Chinese, one USA) and the one Fantagraphics book I have has some serious crinkling in a few pages. Based on what I've seen (and it is an extremely limited sample size) printing QC in general has fallen. The only error I can truly blame Marvel for is screwing up the lettering on one page of Punisher MAX Vol 1.

I don't mean to start an argument here but Marvel is EXACTLY who you should be blaming rather than "unleashing a stream of racial epithets and child laborers." I'm at least glad you cite both Chinese & US printers in this post because there are good examples of omnibus books from both , more dependent on the time period of publishing rather than location.

If Marvel is cutting corners they should be accountable to have better QC and proof-readers to check for these errors.

[CrazyOldHermit]

I don't mean to start an argument here but Marvel is EXACTLY who you should be blaming rather than "unleashing a stream of racial epithets and child laborers." I'm at least glad you cite both Chinese & US printers in this post because there are good examples of omnibus books from both , more dependent on the time period of publishing rather than location.

If Marvel is cutting corners they should be accountable to have better QC and proof-readers to check for these errors.

The publishers don't print the books. They hire the printers but its up to the printer to do quality checks. Marvel has been using RR Donnelly for years now. I can take issue with them (which I gladly do), I can take issue with Marvel for selecting that printer (which I don't, because for the most part they'd provided good product for 7 years now), I can take issue with the economic and political forces that make printing in China feasible. I've made my choice.

[Suriel]

Got the Annihilation Omnibus yesterday. Bought it because of the high praise here. Just flipped through it but was already annoyed by the thin paper again. Seems to me its on par as the Iron Man by Michelini book, which was as a matter of fact to some degree the factor for me to be very selective on omnibi from then on, because of the book quality. And my book has a godawful smell of the printer colours. This turns me off a bit already, the whole room smelled afterwards and I had to get some fresh air inside.
Storywise: Never read anything of the of the space marvel before, we will see if I can make any sense of the characters in there.

[Mighty Roman]

As for leaning the books on their side debate, I used to do that, but then, as my collection began to expand, I moved them to stand normally. I did this for 2 reasons-firstly, because I couldn't reach the books at the bottom of the pile without moving the books on top of it, and secondly, storing your books length-ways is often takes up less space.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

Hey all, been away for a while (life gets busy sometimes). Just curious to know if the upcoming lee and kirby FF vol. 3 Omni has a variant and an old school cover?

Here you go:

The regular Ross cover



The DM Kirby Cover

[actionjackson2099]

Am I wrong in thinking books are stored horizontally in warehouses? And of course they're shipped that way also. By the time we get a book in our hands we have no idea how long they been stacked on top of each other.

[Cold Water]

I don't mean to start an argument here but Marvel is EXACTLY who you should be blaming rather than "unleashing a stream of racial epithets and child laborers." I'm at least glad you cite both Chinese & US printers in this post because there are good examples of omnibus books from both , more dependent on the time period of publishing rather than location.

If Marvel is cutting corners they should be accountable to have better QC and proof-readers to check for these errors.

This. Especially the bold part.
Marvel's name is on the product, it is THEIR product. Ultimately, THEY are responsible for making sure there is a decent quality control.
Accidents do happen, but overall, companies do decide to cut corners.

It doesn't matter if Marvel hires their printers. It's up to Marvel to make sure the printers they hire are following certain standards they've set. And if they aren't? That is Marvel's fault.

[DrGregatron]

This. Especially the bold part.
Marvel's name is on the product, it is THEIR product. Ultimately, THEY are responsible for making sure there is a decent quality control.
Accidents do happen, but overall, companies do decide to cut corners.

It doesn't matter if Marvel hires their printers. It's up to Marvel to make sure the printers they hire are following certain standards they've set. And if they aren't? That is Marvel's fault.

Ain't that the truth! I must be a glutton for punishment because if we were to start a new thread of pics and discussion related to the QC issues of Marvel books, I could probably fill the first half dozen pages with pics just by myself! <hides face in shame>

[Cold Water]

Ain't that the truth! I must be a glutton for punishment because if we were to start a new thread of pics and discussion related to the QC issues of Marvel books, I could probably fill the first half dozen pages with pics just by myself! <hides face in shame>

Not to shame you or your woe, but out of curiosity, I'd love to see pics of the printing errors in your books.

[DrGregatron]

Not to shame you or your woe, but out of curiosity, I'd love to see pics of the printing errors in your books.

That would be a heck of a weekend project! I don't know if my wife would even let me entertain the idea. But if I can find a couple hours.....

[gearsofcrabs]

That would be a heck of a weekend project! I don't know if my wife would even let me entertain the idea. But if I can find a couple hours.....

Maybe there should be an " Interesting printing errors" thread here.That'd be neat.